Incubator



No. 6I6,327. 1 V Patenied Dec. 20', I898. C. L.'HILL.

INCUBATOB.

- (Application filed Dec. 27, 1897.) v (.Nqlllodel.) 4 sham-sheet 2.

I .5.- aZ j I MW a g Gums/Mays No. 615,327. Patented m. 20, I898.

INGUBATUR.

(Applicatidn-filed bee. 27, 1897.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4f of Fig. 3.

I tion, showing the thermic bulb and connect- UNITED STATES-PATENT Orricn.

CHARLES L. IlILL,

on Dennison, OIlIO, ASSIGNOROF own-HALF 'ro WILLIAM KIMBERLING, OF SAME PLACE.

.INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters P hereby declare. the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 'to n ake arid use the same.

My in-ventiofi'relates to improvements in incubators and it consists in certain novel fea tures of construction, combination, and ar rangement of parts, as will be hereinafter an invention.

outer casing is preferably more fully described and specifically set forth a the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, Figure 1 is a pers'pective view of an incubator embodying my Fig. 2 is a plan View of the hotwater tank and ahorizontal section of the heater. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectlonof the incubator. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of same on line i 40f Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5 5 Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detached perspective views of the egg-tray, rack-frame, and rack; and Fig. 9, a cross-sectional view showingthe parts of the tray assembled. Fig. 10 is a'detail perspective view, partly in secing operating means.

The incubator comprises in its construction an outer casing A, supported upon legs B, and

an inner casing 0, formed by bottom, side, and end'walls a b 0, respectively. The said made of double walls (I 2, with oneor more layers of buildingpaper inserted between them, and the space between the inner and outer casings is filled with mineral woolor some other suitable nonconductor of heat. Below the bottom of the inner casing is a division-wall f, forming an air-circulating space or chamber f, and the said bottom of the inner casing is provided with air-inlet openings described. The space I the outer casing and this division-wall is also filled with mineralwool. f through a horizontal pipe 9, having its ends a for passage of air. therefrom into the egg-chambers, hereinafterf v between the bottom of Airenters the space atentNo. 616,327, dated December 20, 1898.

; Application filed December 27, 1897. Serial No. 663,634. (No model.)

"spectively,

opening through the wall f and provided with a central inlet-tube g, opening to the atmosphere througlrthe bottom of the outer casing.

Access to the interior of the outer casing may be had through a hinged door D and to the in-' ner casing through a hinged door I).

The interior of the inner casing is divided by a partition E to form twb independent egg-chambers h h, and this partition is fitted to slide in grooved guideways i, so that it may be inserted and removed at will through the doorways to form two eggchambers, as before stated, or to throw the entire inner casin g into a single compartment, as desired, This construction is important and constitutes a valuable feature of the invention. Its advantages are, first, that the partition may be withdrawn and the entire incubator filled at one operation; second, at the end of the seventh or tenth day of incubation all infertile eggs can be removed, the fertile eggs placed in the trays in one chamber and the partition inserted to cut off the filled from the empty chamber, and, third, if but a single tray is to be filled ,the partition may be inserted and the tray placedin one chamber while the empty chamber maybe filled at any subsequent period without liability of chilling the eggs in the filled chamber. Further-. more, a single tray of from two-hundred egg capacity may be inserted into the single chamber formed by removing said partition.

On the top of the inner casing rests a hotone-hundred to water tank G, which communicates with a boiler or water-heater H on the exterior through supply and return pipes j j. This tank is in the form of a shallow pan with a central opening .k, surrounded by a provided flanged wall It" and a partition 1, arranged between the supply and return pipes, so that the hot water enteringthrough the pipe J will flow completely: around the tank and then back into the boiler through-the pipe An effective circulation of thehot' water is thereproduced. These pip'esyj', extend through the walls of the incubator.

with the top and,

Jaottomof the boiler. The boiler orrheater, H is arranged within a closed chamber or casing I on the exterior of the incubator, whichcasing is proand connect, re

ZOO

vided with a hinged door J,whereby the boiler maybe conveniently repaired in case of leakage and removed whenever desired. The

boiler is formed with a hot-air flue m, and

into the lower end of the flue extends the chimney of a lamp or oil-heater K, supported below said casing by a bracket N. This bracket is hinged at one end to rods n and provided at the other end with notches .for the reception of rods it, said rods 77. being threaded at their lower ends andfitted' with wing-nuts 0, by which the free end of the bracket is adjust-ably supported. This construction permits of the lamp being readily lowered for removal or trimming of the wick.

Above the hot-water tank is a radiatingplate 0, which deflects the moisture and hot air rising from said tank down into the eggchambers 71 h, and extending downward from the top of the casing and opening through said plate immediately above the opening in the tank is a vent-tube p. Fitted to slide in the upper end of this tube is'a perforated valve-tube g, which when open permits the moisture-laden air rising from the tank and moisture-pans to vent directly to the atmosphere. Simple, convenient, and effective means are thereby provided by which the degree of humidity of the incubator atmosphere may be regulated. In order to insure good results, it is important that the air in the upper portions of the egg chambers, which in circulating comes in contact with the upper portions of the eggs, should be as fully saturated with moisture as the air below and that there should be an equalization of heat and moisture throughout the entire incubator atmosphere. To accomplish this, I locatein the upper portion of the inner casing a moisture-pan P, which rests upon the upper gnideway i in the space formed by the .hot-watertank opening it. The vapor rising from this pan thoroughly saturates the par tially moisture-laden air heated by the tank, and the air then gravitates downward through eg -trays, and when partially relieved of its moisture passes out through vent-tubes 'r in the walls of the casings provided for that purpose. The proper conditions of heat and moisture are thus maintained in the most effective and economical manner, and at the same time ample ventilation is aiforded by theadmissionof air through the pipe 9 and tubes r. stored in the space or chamber f and absorbs suflicient heat before entering the eggschamhere to prevent chilling of .the eggs.

The double walls (1' a, forming the top of the outer casing A, are preferably detachably secured by screws or other suitable fastening devices, so that they may be quickly and conveniently removed for repacking the walls with non-conducting material and for lifting out the hot-water tank and uppermoisturepan for repairs or for other purposes.

One or more egg-trays maybe supported in each egg-chamber upon suitable cleats on the The air enterin throu h i e t is a s P P .1

side walls, guideways, and removable partition. Each tray comprises in its-construction a rectangular tray proper, Q, provided with a reticulated bottom 8 and longitudinal bottom trackways s at each side thereof. In

this tray fitsan open rack-frame R, provided with end cross-pieces 't and rollers 16, which rest on and are adapted to traverse said trackways 3. The length ofthis rack is several inches less than that of the tray, so that it may be moved freely back and forth therein. The rack R consists'of two longitudinal parallel rods Lb, whose, ends are adapted to rest upon the crosspieces ziof the rack-frame, and

a series of transverse slats 'u, fitted to slide thereon, so that they may be adjusted to re ceive diii'erent sizes of land and water fowl eggs. ,jlhe eggs are supported in parallel rows by saidslats and rest upon the reticulated bottom 8 of the tray proper, and by adj l'lSlring these slats relatively to each other to increase or diminish the space between them diiiere nt sizes and kinds of eggs may be placed in the "same tray for incubation. Preferably hen and other small eggs are placed in the tray illgill, inclined positiomw'ith their point ends resting on the reticulated bottom and one sidi igagainst a slat, and larger eggs, such as ducktifand turkey eggs, placed longitudinally, with one side thereof resting on said' recticula'r bottom to secure good results and to enabl them to be turned at the proper periods with facility. By simply sliding the rack-frame R in the tray Q the eggs may be turned simultaneously without jarring or danger of injuring the embryo.

Below each tray is a moisture-pan of suitable construction, which may be fitted to slide in guideways on the bottom of the tray or detachably secured thereto in any other suitable manner. with water or moist sand, as desired.

The heat-regulating mechanism comprises a thermic tube or bulb W, arranged in the egg-chamber above the trays and having one end projecting into a chambers-V, formed between the walls of the-inner and outer casings and provided with an elbow forming a mercury-chamber 20. To this mercury-chamber is connected one end of a flexible-tube to, which extends from said chamber W into a casing U, arranged alongside the casing I. In said chamber U is a variable weight ac, car? rying' a gage-tubers", to which the outer end of the flexible tube is attached. A scale-balance lever Y is mounted exteriorly of the easin-g upon a bracket Y, secured to the main casing, and is connected at one end to the variable weight by a cord or wire 'y and providedat its free end with a damper 2, which controls the escape ofhot air from the boilerflue min the usual manner. A sliding counterbalancing-weight .2 may be employed on the free end of the lever to adapt the mechanism to operate at different degrees of temperature. In operation when the temperature of the atmosphere in the egg-chambers These pans may be filled,

- her to expands and formation of e. vacuum in the chamber "N,

which is ioimedie'teiy filled ii the mercury receding from the gage-tube endpessing into said chamber. Tine of theiever is tiien tilted down the Wei tiie iow of hot air through m partieiiy or cut off.

From'the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings the construction and operation of my improved incnbetor'wili be clearly understood. it will be seen that all the conditions necessary for attaining successful resiiite are provided for and eat-the same time the parts we rendered readily accessible for remo'vei and repair.

I desire it understood that i do not limit my invention to the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown, as it is obvious that changes in the form, proportion, and deteiis of construction may be made Within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. i

Having time fully described my invention 2 what I claim as new and useful, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an incubator, thecomoination with an outer casing QiOVidfid with a removable top having depending wells, of an inner cesing, a removable vertical partition sliding in gnideways in the latter, a hot-water tank restingon the top oi the inner chamber, said tank being open at top and provided with a central opening, a metal iadiating-piste secured to the depending Walls of the said removable top of the outercasing and arranged izn medietely above the hotweier tenk,a, packs ing of non-conducting material between said plate and remox 'ebie top, and a. moisture-pan supported upon the upper guidewey of the vertical partition in line withnthe tank and occupying the space therein formed by said cent-mi opening, substantially as descrii'ied,

2-, in an inccbetor, the combination of an wholly v in line with the ten and occupying;

therein formed by said opening sobstentieiiy outer o "verticai tie into two ioepende'nt eggciie zontei di cn-weii between t the casings forming witi'i the e vesiteir ehenibe air cii'coietee ceiore in o i e egg chambers, 2i yipe for conducting f enter-lei: it) said fiiifiiiididfig-m inn movable top on. the outer c with depending-weds a red cared to WitiiS, a packing of ming material between the jfiiiiiiifwe? ,r tent: resting upon the top of fizz, inner chm-nicer below the radiating-plate said 'Ji-t being open at top and provided with e 'tra-i opening, and a moistnrepen supported the ntiie ireas described.

3. in e-nincn'hetor, on eggtmy having ion gitndin'al tre'ckweys, a, ICiPfI'itifii-i provided with rollers adapted to tieverse said trecib ways, and an egg-rack inciosed tile-rein end.

consisting or a, pair of pmeiiei rods, e ee= ries of slate fitted to slide thereon, said slats be adj EBiJGCi to i'eceive diffew ent-sized eggs, and. the eggs turned by sliding the reck fiaine iongitudinztiiy in trey ciibstentieihyes described.

4. In an incubator, an egg-trey i30ilij3ii3iil 2t trey proper provided Wit-ii a, reticulated oot tom and longitudinal treckweys at each side thereof, an open bottom reck-i'rsine of ices icngth than the trey and. inciosed therein and provided with end croespieces and T! ve which rest on and are adogsted to tm 151F536 said trackways, and e detaeiiebie To, Kile closed in said-fierce and consisting of pair of pereiieiiongitudinei rode on said cross-pieces and a, series of transverse slats. fitted to slide independentiyon the rods suiistentieiiy as described In testimony whereoii Li affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SHARE "S adapted to rest cit. 

